Scare at the European Darts Open: Marker taken ill during match, play temporarily brought to a halt

The opening round of the European Darts Open 2026 in Leverkusen was disrupted on Friday evening by a medical incident. During the match between Sebastian Bialecki and William O'Connor, one of the scorers beside the stage fell ill, forcing a temporary suspension of play.

Conditions inside the Ostermann-Arena were tough. Due to the high temperatures it was particularly warm in the venue, and things went wrong near the end of the match, casuing a traumatic situation that had to be quickly dealt with.

The incident occurred at a pivotal moment in the contest. O'Connor led 5-4 and Bialecki had missed one dart to level at 5-5. The Pole still had two darts in his hand when the match was abruptly halted. Both Bialecki and O'Connor stopped playing immediately. Referee Kirk Bevins also rushed to the scorer to attend to the situation while medical assistance was called.

Moments later, loud applause rang out from the stands, indicating the situation had improved. The scorer was eventually replaced by a colleague, allowing the match to thankfully resume.

Shortly after, Adrian Geiler, commentator for German broadcaster DAZN, provided an on-air update. According to Geiler, Philip Brzezinski had sent him a message stating the scorer was feeling better. He was, however, still being examined by the medical team in the arena at that time.

After the interruption, play resumed. Bialecki failed to use his two remaining darts to level the score, leaving O'Connor 5-4 ahead. The Irishman then could not close out the match and missed a handful of match darts.

Bialecki took full advantage. The Pole finally levelled at 5-5 and then kept his nerve in the decider. He clinched the match 6-5 to book his place in the second round of the European Darts Open. He will take on Danny Noppert in the second round, looking to reach the final day of a European Tour event for the third time in his young career.